With more colleges and universities taking services to the cloud, keeping student data secure is an increasingly complex issue. And it’s one cloud-based learning management system provider Instructure is all too familiar with.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES “CANVAS NETWORKING” SO MUCH MORE ENGAGING THAN PLAIN OLD NETWORKING? (IT’S REALLY NOT A TRICK QUESTION.) THE ANSWER IS CANVAS, THE OPEN, ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM THAT MAKES IT EASY TO CREATE A LEARNING COMMUNITY AROUND WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT TO LEARN (OR TEACH, OR SHARE, OR DO). OUR NEWEST COURSES WILL HELP YOU NETWORK TO BECOME A BETTER TEACHER OR LEARNER, TO DEVELOP FOOD BANK NUTRITION POLICIES, OR TO GET BIG ON THE HISTORY OF MICROBES.

Becoming a Blended Learning Designer provides facilitated assistance to faculty and instructional designers in developing and designing blended courses. Participants who meet portfolio review expectations will earn a certificate and digital badge from EDUCAUSE and the University of Central Florida.

Personalized and Student-Centered Learning provides an opportunity to collaborate with other educators and professionals to explore what personalized and student-centered learning is (and what it is not). Participants will design learning experiences to accomplish the shift toward personalization.

Learning to Learn Online addresses common misconceptions, frustrations, and fears about online learning and introduces techniques to help overcome such obstacles. Participants will explore who they are as learners and develop effective tools and strategies for learning online.

Microbes Rule the World: Effects of Disease on History explores the effects of disease on human events, especially religion, war, and migration. Participants will watch video lectures and vignettes with accompanying essays and exercises to learn about the startling influence of microbes on history.

Free professional learning on your schedule – even if you’re snowed in! MOOC-Eds are a great way to connect with education professionals like you, and to learn from those who have successfully done what you hope to accomplish in your school or district. Registration is still open for:

Organized around the Future Ready Schools Digital Learning Framework, this eight-week course is designed for school and district leaders, as well as university faculty, consultants, parents and any others involved in planning and implementing K-12 digital learning initiatives. Everyone involved in digital learning (also known as blended learning, e-learning and instructional technology) in a K-12 school or district is welcome to join the course.

Our world is rich with data sources, and technology makes data more accessible than ever before! To help ensure students are future ready to use data for making informed decisions, many countries around the world have increased the emphasis on statistics and data analysis in school curriculum–from elementary/primary grades through college. This course allows you to learn, along with colleagues from other schools, to use an investigation cycle to teach statistics and to help students explore data to make evidence-based claims.

In a move designed to provide African learners with greater access to higher education opportunities, the African Virtual University (AVU) and the Commonwealth of Learning will launch a MOOC on March 9th 2015.

Based on unique learning expectations and needs, participant will choose from a wide variety of learning activities designed to help them improve themselves. Module 1 : what are ICTs? Module 2 : why use ICTs in teaching and learning ? Modules 3&4 : How to use ICTs to support teaching and learning.

The courses are for free. Please circulate widely in your networks : moocs.avu.org

The courses, hosted on the Canvas Network, feature nearly 40 experts and leaders across the education landscape from superintendents to senators, parents to policymakers, teachers to technology gurus and community leaders to CEOs.

EdPolicy Leaders Online was designed with leaders in mind by offering access to top experts providing in-depth knowledge, tools, and key resources needed to advance and effectively implement trending reforms; convenient, self-paced modules to accommodate busy schedules; and official recognition of course completion, which can be displayed on social networks, such as LinkedIn, or on their résumés.

Our first three courses are robust, timely and varied, offering the opportunity to learn about the relevant education reform issues in the news today.

Data Privacy? Get Schooled: This course, developed in coordination with the Data Quality Campaign , will discuss the value data brings to improve education, offer recommendations for addressing privacy concerns while promoting effective data use, and explore lessons learned from existing and emerging policies in education and other sectors.

Securing Our Nation’s Future: A failing American educational system threatens U.S. national security. In this course, participants will hear from national leaders and experts about these threats, the urgent need for education reform and how America can ensure its own security and global leadership for future generations.

Communications Boot Camp: Winning the Ed Reform Conversation: How we deliver our messages makes a big difference when it comes to winning the education reform conversation. In this course, participants will build their communications skills related to media relations, targeted messaging, and the use of social media.

We hope you will join us by participating in this exciting online initiative.

Thank you for your continued commitment to America’s students.

Patricia Levesque
CEO
Foundation for Excellence in Education

The Foundation for Excellence in Education is igniting a movement of reform, state by state, to transform education for the 21st century economy by working with lawmakers, policymakers, educators and parents to advance education reform across America. Learn more at ExcelinEd.org.